Marta
Unable to lose more weight
Why I can't lose more weight, even when I follow the same, healthy diet?
Sharon Scott
7
votes(Highest rated answer)
Hi Marta,
Thanks for your question.
There may be many reasons that make it difficult for us to lose weight. I would ask the following questions and also have a look at if the diet you are eating is the right one for you.
Are you eating enough - eating to few calories can lead to muscle loss in the long term which can impact the metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight.
Is there any stress currently affecting you - stress can produce cortisol which may lead to fat storage.
Are you sleeping enough - lack of sleep may contribute to weight gain and make it harder to shed unwanted lbs.
Are you including exercise (aerobic and weight bearing) - exercise can play a huge role in weight management alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle.
If none of these apply I would check the following to begin but you may wish to consult a professional to have a full health history taken and support you towards your ultimate goal.
Check thyroid function - underactive thyroid will impact the BMR which governs the rate at which the body burns energy and have an impact on weight loss.
Are there any food intolerances - this may hinder weight loss efforts and removing the offending foods and working on gut healing can offer benefit.
Don't worry though eating a healthy diet will bring benefits that go above and beyond weight loss alone. Visceral fat which is the fat stored deep in the abdominal core surrounding the internal organs and is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart, attack and stroke may be reduced when making healthier choices. The nutrients that healthy foods provide your body with will offer many additional benefits as well as weight loss.
Thanks and good luck.
Sharon
Thanks for your question.
There may be many reasons that make it difficult for us to lose weight. I would ask the following questions and also have a look at if the diet you are eating is the right one for you.
Are you eating enough - eating to few calories can lead to muscle loss in the long term which can impact the metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight.
Is there any stress currently affecting you - stress can produce cortisol which may lead to fat storage.
Are you sleeping enough - lack of sleep may contribute to weight gain and make it harder to shed unwanted lbs.
Are you including exercise (aerobic and weight bearing) - exercise can play a huge role in weight management alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle.
If none of these apply I would check the following to begin but you may wish to consult a professional to have a full health history taken and support you towards your ultimate goal.
Check thyroid function - underactive thyroid will impact the BMR which governs the rate at which the body burns energy and have an impact on weight loss.
Are there any food intolerances - this may hinder weight loss efforts and removing the offending foods and working on gut healing can offer benefit.
Don't worry though eating a healthy diet will bring benefits that go above and beyond weight loss alone. Visceral fat which is the fat stored deep in the abdominal core surrounding the internal organs and is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart, attack and stroke may be reduced when making healthier choices. The nutrients that healthy foods provide your body with will offer many additional benefits as well as weight loss.
Thanks and good luck.
Sharon
Andrea Prochazkova
2
votes
Hi Marta
Thanks for your question. Most ideas have been already covered however there are few bits I would like to add.
You might find it useful to download a calorie-counting app on your mobile that tracks your physical activity, food you eat (most apps also offer to scan barcodes of products to ease the work on you) and can calculate your basic metabolic rate (the number of calories you need to maintain the function of your body) and energy expenditure to calculate how many calories you should eat to lose weight. Please note, that you should never go below 1200 kcal per day. This will bring better awareness about what you have been eating and some apps also offer nutritional break down of minerals, vitamins, protein, carbohydrate and fat consumed.
Knowing you are getting enough nutrients like vitamins and minerals is essential – if your intake is low, your body could go into starvation mode and you can put on weight even when you restrict calories. Therefore, make sure you eat at least 5-7 portions of vegetables a day and 1-2 portion of non-sugary fruit like berries.
Another important thing is to avoid sugar that you might miss in your diet like smoothies, juices and sugary drinks. Alcohol consumption could also contribute to weight gain.
Even if your diet is healthy, you could overeat on healthy foods like dark chocolate and nuts – excessive consumption could contribute to your inability to lose weight since it contributes significantly to your calorie intake. Make sure that you eat high-caloric, healthy foods like this, in moderation.
You might also think about the addition of protein sources like lean meat and fish – the consumption of carbohydrates could increase your metabolic rate by 4%, fat by 6% but protein by up to 30%! Its thermic effect means that your body needs to utilize more energy to break it down so you burn more calories!
Please also note that age is relevant – the older you get the less calories your body will need hence it could lead to difficulty maintain the same diet and weight with increased aged.
The best would be for you to seek help of a nutritionist to guide you through a balanced and healthy weight-loss plan tailored just for you.
Take care and good luck!
Thanks for your question. Most ideas have been already covered however there are few bits I would like to add.
You might find it useful to download a calorie-counting app on your mobile that tracks your physical activity, food you eat (most apps also offer to scan barcodes of products to ease the work on you) and can calculate your basic metabolic rate (the number of calories you need to maintain the function of your body) and energy expenditure to calculate how many calories you should eat to lose weight. Please note, that you should never go below 1200 kcal per day. This will bring better awareness about what you have been eating and some apps also offer nutritional break down of minerals, vitamins, protein, carbohydrate and fat consumed.
Knowing you are getting enough nutrients like vitamins and minerals is essential – if your intake is low, your body could go into starvation mode and you can put on weight even when you restrict calories. Therefore, make sure you eat at least 5-7 portions of vegetables a day and 1-2 portion of non-sugary fruit like berries.
Another important thing is to avoid sugar that you might miss in your diet like smoothies, juices and sugary drinks. Alcohol consumption could also contribute to weight gain.
Even if your diet is healthy, you could overeat on healthy foods like dark chocolate and nuts – excessive consumption could contribute to your inability to lose weight since it contributes significantly to your calorie intake. Make sure that you eat high-caloric, healthy foods like this, in moderation.
You might also think about the addition of protein sources like lean meat and fish – the consumption of carbohydrates could increase your metabolic rate by 4%, fat by 6% but protein by up to 30%! Its thermic effect means that your body needs to utilize more energy to break it down so you burn more calories!
Please also note that age is relevant – the older you get the less calories your body will need hence it could lead to difficulty maintain the same diet and weight with increased aged.
The best would be for you to seek help of a nutritionist to guide you through a balanced and healthy weight-loss plan tailored just for you.
Take care and good luck!
Maria Mitchell
1
votes
Hello Marta
As we now know weight loss is much more than just calories in and calories out. As my colleague Sharon has explained there can be several other underlying factors which can contribute to weight gain and loss.
It sounds like you have been following a healthy diet but seem to have reached a plateau in your weight loss and there can be many reasons for this.
In their first instance I would keep a detailed food diary for 1 week, list everything you eat and drink and also try to write down portion sizes. Having an overview of what you are actually eating can be helpful and it may well be that you are consuming certain foods and drinks which could be hindering any weight loss. This can also be useful in looking at what you many not be eating, our bodies require lots of healthy fats as well as good hydration to assist in weight loss and it may well be that these are areas that need addressing.
If you find that you diet is well balanced but still you dont seem to be losing weight then you may well need to see a nutritionist so underlying factors such as hormonal issues or food intolerances can be ruled out.
Good Luck
Maria
As we now know weight loss is much more than just calories in and calories out. As my colleague Sharon has explained there can be several other underlying factors which can contribute to weight gain and loss.
It sounds like you have been following a healthy diet but seem to have reached a plateau in your weight loss and there can be many reasons for this.
In their first instance I would keep a detailed food diary for 1 week, list everything you eat and drink and also try to write down portion sizes. Having an overview of what you are actually eating can be helpful and it may well be that you are consuming certain foods and drinks which could be hindering any weight loss. This can also be useful in looking at what you many not be eating, our bodies require lots of healthy fats as well as good hydration to assist in weight loss and it may well be that these are areas that need addressing.
If you find that you diet is well balanced but still you dont seem to be losing weight then you may well need to see a nutritionist so underlying factors such as hormonal issues or food intolerances can be ruled out.
Good Luck
Maria
Elizabeth Cooper
1
votes
Hi Marta
Thanks for your question. Adding to the answers that Sharon and Maria have given, I would definitely recommend keeping a food diary and getting the help of a nutritionist to go through it with you so they can pinpoint any foods that may be hindering weight loss. There is so much information about which foods and drinks are healthy but some of these items may not be healthy or they may not be healthy for you, as we are all individuals with different health needs. It is also important, as Sharon said, to eat enough calories for your metabolism and eat the right kind of calories such as lean proteins, healthy complex carbohydrates such as quinoa, vegetables, less sweet fruit and healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, oily fish. If you do all of these things and still struggle to lose weight then it would be worth having some tests to check thyroid and hormonal function. You may also benefit from doing something like the daily fast, where you eat the same number of calories but between 12pm and 8pm, or the 5:2 where you eat 500 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week. Both of these can be useful methods to lose weight and can also provide other health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
I hope this helps
Thanks for your question. Adding to the answers that Sharon and Maria have given, I would definitely recommend keeping a food diary and getting the help of a nutritionist to go through it with you so they can pinpoint any foods that may be hindering weight loss. There is so much information about which foods and drinks are healthy but some of these items may not be healthy or they may not be healthy for you, as we are all individuals with different health needs. It is also important, as Sharon said, to eat enough calories for your metabolism and eat the right kind of calories such as lean proteins, healthy complex carbohydrates such as quinoa, vegetables, less sweet fruit and healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, oily fish. If you do all of these things and still struggle to lose weight then it would be worth having some tests to check thyroid and hormonal function. You may also benefit from doing something like the daily fast, where you eat the same number of calories but between 12pm and 8pm, or the 5:2 where you eat 500 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week. Both of these can be useful methods to lose weight and can also provide other health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
I hope this helps
Joanne Jackson
1
votes
Hi Marta,
In addition to the helpful advice already offered by my colleagues, I'll try to offer you some suggestions. Perhaps you have reached a point where your weight loss has plateaued as you are healthy weight now, albeit above the weight that you would like to be?
Try not to reduce your calorie intake too much with the hope of losing weight fast, as this may result in reduced muscle and slow your metabolism down. Have you adjusted your calorie intake since you started to lose weight? Despite having a similar healthy diet now, you may now require less calories than before?
Have you considered your exercise routine also? Incorporating some high intensity exercise into your routine has been shown to be effective at burning body fat. Also lifting weights to build muscle can help you to burn more calories. If you are new to exercise, check with your GP first and consider seeking the help of a personal trainer.
In addition to the helpful advice already offered by my colleagues, I'll try to offer you some suggestions. Perhaps you have reached a point where your weight loss has plateaued as you are healthy weight now, albeit above the weight that you would like to be?
Try not to reduce your calorie intake too much with the hope of losing weight fast, as this may result in reduced muscle and slow your metabolism down. Have you adjusted your calorie intake since you started to lose weight? Despite having a similar healthy diet now, you may now require less calories than before?
Have you considered your exercise routine also? Incorporating some high intensity exercise into your routine has been shown to be effective at burning body fat. Also lifting weights to build muscle can help you to burn more calories. If you are new to exercise, check with your GP first and consider seeking the help of a personal trainer.
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